This is perhaps a foolish question, but will the portable applications on this site function on a U3 compliant USB stick?
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they work off any USB but will not appear on your U3 Launchpad.
----
R McCue
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
Is it possible that one can use the Launchpad to start Pstart?
The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote.
For an application to appear on the U3 Launchpad, it has to be specifically designed for U3. PStart is not.
Actually, all it takes is a little tinkering. This may be what you are looking for: "How to add your programs to the U3 Menu"
Thanks Ashes for Tears.
The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote.
So. I finally gave in and bought a U3 enabled Drive. *rolls eyes* I did a little more research and experimentation in the matter and here are a couple of conclusions:
1. You can hack non U3 programs into the Launch Pad, but if not properly prepared, they can still leave registry entries (and all of the settings
) behind.
2. I've successfully added Keyboard Launch Pad ((c)Stardock, Licensed version) modified with RegistryRapper (courtesy of Deuce
) to the U3 Launch Pad, and after testing, found no registry entries (thay's where KLP stores it's settings) on a virgin system. You do however, have to point the path to 'appStop' to the original executable:
cmd="%U3_DEVICE_PATH%\system\apps\keyboardlaunchpad\KLP\Keys.exe">(**forward slash**)stop('less than' bracket)(**forward slash**stopApp>**end stopApp(I apologize for all the hacked up code, the forum protocol did not seem to be taking it all that well. :()
Remember to point 'cmd' to RegistryRapper ;), and to configure the RegRap.ini (Yes I can ckalk that one up to experiance, lol):
cmd="%U3_DEVICE_PATH%\system\apps\keyboardlaunchpad\RegRap.exe"/3. It's not really necessary to make any of the applications that you want to carry into a 'U3 application'. A regular program (at least one that uses the registry), even one with an add-on like Registry Rapper, will work just fine as long as all paths in the config files are correct. So, if you already own the non-U3 version of a program for instance, you could modify it for your drive instead of buying it from thier store. Another thing you could avoid: U3 apps seem to have a problem with adding plugins (not personally confirmed yet), so this method may make the users of Winamp, Trillian, and other progams lives a little easier. One thing you do lose if you do it this way is the nice precompressed-ness of the U3 apps, but it's not a very big problem, I think.
Issues
-I did try this with Stardock's Right Click first and got it working. But I saw that I had forgotten to rename one tag so that the proper application name would show on the menu. When I corrected the name and restarted the drive, U3 could not load the .up3 file. When I replaced the corrected file with my original, it worked but the name remained incorrect. The only difference between the files was that one word (Rightclick as opposed to PStart), all other information was unchanged. I will investigate more later.
To Do
-I still need to test a program that stores it's settings within an .ini file with this hack. I've heard there may be a couple of issues with that. Anyone have any info?
-I still have to test an app that has been compressed.
I'm sure there's more than that, I just can't think of anything at the second. I'll post back if there's anything else.
Specs
OS:
-Windows XP, SP2, Home Edition
-Windows XP, SP2, Professional
Flash Drive:
-U3 Enabled Verbatim USB Drive
-1GB
Programs:
-Keyboard Launch Pad ((c)Stardock, Licensed version)v. 1.02.00.96
-RegistryRapper 1.08.00.00
Resources
-Keyboard Launch Pad (License only)
-Instructions
Use the following codes (minus the quotes) to get the markup characters:
< : "<" or "<"
> : ">" or ">"
/ : "/"
I would have fixed and reposted your code myself, but as it stands even I can't make heads or tails of it.
Heh, sorry Bruce, I'm not really a programmer
:P. John if you have time can you help me out? Or, if you let me, I could change it myself.
In any event, I think (read: hope) people can figure it out enough if they just eyeball the config files. Wasn't impossibly difficult, just time consuming and exacting.
Anyway, my best shot for the moment:
<appStart workingdir="%U3_DEVICE_PATH%\system\apps\keyboardlaunchpad" cmd="%U3_DEVICE_PATH%\system\apps\keyboardlaunchpad\RegRap.exe"/><appStop workingdir="%U3_DEVICE_PATH%\system\apps\keyboardlaunchpad" cmd="%U3_DEVICE_PATH%\system\apps\keyboardlaunchpad\KLP\Keys.exe">/stop</appStop>Edit:Thanks for the hint Bruce. :D
Just doing my job.
A couple more things:
1. "System" is a hidden file; XP, etc., must be configured to show hidden files for you to be able to put anything in it. You can use a folder outside of that like "Programs" or something, I'm just a neat freak.
2. A theory: the text file config problems may be due to people doing just that. Still investigating...
I'm designing a interface with START that looks kinda like the U3 Launchpad and it will be able to intergrate with UniLaunch.
----
R McCue
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
Awesome!
Fantastic!
I've been able to get my family member's diabetes management software and database loaded and running on a U3 drive using the above regrappper instructions and also gmgfarrand's U3 menu instructions at everythingusb.com
One snag I've hit is the registry settings themselves. The original registry entry in my .reg file is "DBPath"="F:\\System\\Apps\\LifeScan\\OneTouch\\Data"
I think it should instead be "DBPath"="%U3_DEVICE_PATH%\\System\\Apps\\LifeScan\\OneTouch\\Data" - but this makes the application choke as though it can't find the path.
Ideas?
Thanks, Allie